IMPORTANT: the Tiger photos are courtesy of Musée des blindés at Saumur, copy or publication are prohibited whitout the authorization of the museum.

GUN

Click to enlarge

GUN

Photos

DESCRIPTION

On the late-model Tiger, the breech is angular and the mountings for the recoil tubes are castings bolted to it. On the Bovington Tiger, the breech is rounded and the mountings for the tubes are machined from the same block of steel. These changes were obviously made to simplify production and to save machining time.

The small box on top of the recoil tube is the firing safety device. The gun can't fire till the gunner pushes the knob. At each shot, the recoil of the gun puts the system back in the safe position. On the right is the coaxial MG mount .

On the early Tiger, on the upper part of the gun, there was a circular hand wheel, this, through articulated levers, pushed a waterproof gasket into the space between the barrel and the mantlet. This system is now deleted but the mountings are still there on top of the gun. The little square box fixed vertically on the left side of the gun is a control light for the electric firing cicuit . One can see on the ceiling the sockets for the light in the gun sight and for the firing circuit.

Two other views of the breech , the angular shape was probably introduced when the turret was redesigned in 1943 and was therefore present on Mid and Late Tigers .

Two views under the breech , a rarely photographed area. one can see the hand lever for opening of the breech and the sockets for the firing cicuit .

Two other views of the same area, the sockets are here clearly visible.

A view of the right side of the breech, one can see the drum containing the springs that opened and closed the breech automatically when the gun fired , the drum incorporates a lever to open the breech by hand .

A view under the gun, in the middle one can see the location (two little strips with holes drilled) for the hydraulic safety device. This device fitted on the Bovington Tiger and is missing here. According to the French report of 1946 , this device was not fitted on every Tiger (shortages ? ) , it was a cylinder connected by a pipe to the recoil buffer, Pressure from the buffer acted on a electric switch and prevented firing if the gun is not in the forward position or if the recoil buffer was empty .

Another view of the same area , the hydraulic safety device's location is visible, one part of this device was hydraulic with a spring and a piston and the other part was electric with a switch operated by the hydraulic pressure.This device can be seen (hydr. sicherheitsschalter) on the firing circuit drawing of page 57 of the Tiger Fibel on Byrden's site .

Two views of the coaxial MG mount and its linkage .

A view inside the gun's deflector guard , a sliding indicator is provided to show how far the gun has recoiled at its furthest . Beyond the limit marked "Feueur pause", firing is prohibited, otherwise the gun may be damaged .

BACK

IMPORTANT: the Tiger photos are courtesy of Musée des blindés at Saumur, copy or publication are prohibited whitout the authorization of the museum.

Click to enlarge	GUN
Photos	DESCRIPTION
	On the late-model Tiger, the breech is angular and the mountings for the recoil tubes are castings bolted to it. On the Bovington Tiger, the breech is rounded and the mountings for the tubes are machined from the same block of steel. These changes were obviously made to simplify production and to save machining time.
	The small box on top of the recoil tube is the firing safety device. The gun can't fire till the gunner pushes the knob. At each shot, the recoil of the gun puts the system back in the safe position. On the right is the coaxial MG mount .
	On the early Tiger, on the upper part of the gun, there was a circular hand wheel, this, through articulated levers, pushed a waterproof gasket into the space between the barrel and the mantlet. This system is now deleted but the mountings are still there on top of the gun. The little square box fixed vertically on the left side of the gun is a control light for the electric firing cicuit . One can see on the ceiling the sockets for the light in the gun sight and for the firing circuit.
		Two other views of the breech , the angular shape was probably introduced when the turret was redesigned in 1943 and was therefore present on Mid and Late Tigers .
		Two views under the breech , a rarely photographed area. one can see the hand lever for opening of the breech and the sockets for the firing cicuit .
		Two other views of the same area, the sockets are here clearly visible.
	A view of the right side of the breech, one can see the drum containing the springs that opened and closed the breech automatically when the gun fired , the drum incorporates a lever to open the breech by hand .
	A view under the gun, in the middle one can see the location (two little strips with holes drilled) for the hydraulic safety device. This device fitted on the Bovington Tiger and is missing here. According to the French report of 1946 , this device was not fitted on every Tiger (shortages ? ) , it was a cylinder connected by a pipe to the recoil buffer, Pressure from the buffer acted on a electric switch and prevented firing if the gun is not in the forward position or if the recoil buffer was empty .
	Another view of the same area , the hydraulic safety device's location is visible, one part of this device was hydraulic with a spring and a piston and the other part was electric with a switch operated by the hydraulic pressure.This device can be seen (hydr. sicherheitsschalter) on the firing circuit drawing of page 57 of the Tiger Fibel on Byrden's site .
		Two views of the coaxial MG mount and its linkage .
	A view inside the gun's deflector guard , a sliding indicator is provided to show how far the gun has recoiled at its furthest . Beyond the limit marked "Feueur pause", firing is prohibited, otherwise the gun may be damaged .